Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back and Happy New Year to you all. We hope you had a restful and enjoyable break. It has been wonderful to welcome the children back to school and see them settle into their learning routines. 

We would like to share some highlights from the start of the term so far:

• Y5 Stem Centre Visit - Year 5 recently enjoyed an exciting trip to the STEM Centre. The children were enthusiastic and engaged throughout the visit, taking part in hands-on activities that supported their learning in science, technology, engineering, and maths. They represented the school brilliantly!

• Y4 Swimming Lessons - Year 4 have begun their swimming lessons this term. The children have made a great start and are showing great confidence and resilience in the swimming pool. Swimming is an important life skill, and we look forward to seeing their progress over the coming weeks. 

• Y6 Bikeability - Year 6 have successfully completed their bikeability training this week. The programme helped pupils develop essential road safety skills and build confidence when cycling. We are proud of the maturity and responsibility they showed during the course. 

This half term, our school community will be focusing on Solidarity and Peace, one of the key principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Through this focus, we aim to help our children understand the importance of standing together, caring for one another, and working towards peace in our school, local community, and the wider world. This week, our Faith Leaders met to plan a range of activities and events that will take place throughout the half term. These activities are designed to bring our community together, encourage reflection, and inspire practical acts of kindness, unity, and compassion. 

We are delighted to be celebrating Cultural Day with the students this year on Thursday 5th February.  We invite children to come to school in their own clothes that day to represent themselves and their culture.  The day is designed to be a rich learning experience, allowing students to participate in activities, discussions, and shared experiences that deepen their understanding of different cultures. This year, Cultural Day will be a children-focused event, and we will not be inviting parents into classrooms as we have done previously.  Preparing for visitors can significantly reduce the time available for learning activities, and our aim is to ensure that the children fully engage with the planned experiences. We look forward to sharing highlights of the day with you afterwards and thank you for making it so meaningful.  

As part of our ongoing work to challenge the children to develop their confidence, responsibility, and communication skills, some children from KS2 will be given the opportunity to assist in the school reception during lunchtime. Under staff supervision , students may help by answering the school phone and passing messages on to a member of staff. Please be assured that children will be closely supervised and will not be expected to deal with any situations beyond their role. 

Kind regards,

Mrs Lavelle-Murphy & Mrs Reilly